The Awakening Of Female Consciousness In The Early Fiction Of Henry James

As a prolific writer, Henry James is well known for his various pieces of works and different themes, including both novels and literary criticism. His writing career can be divided into three periods, from"international theme"to transitional stage and then to the final mature phase. This thesis is an attempt to take a closer look at his early three novels and explore the awakening of female consciousness.The whole thesis consists of three chapters. The first chapter concentrates on Washington Square and analyzes Catherine Sloper's strong faith toward love and glorious fight. Chapter two is mainly focused on Daisy's independent journey as an image of a new woman in the novel Daisy Miller. Chapter three describes the growth of Isabel Archer from innocence to spiritual fulfillment in The Portrait of a Lady. The three novels are all written from the perspective of maturing American girls. The life's journey of Henry James's American girls from the innocent Catherine to the audacious Daisy, and finally to the mature Isabel indicates the journey of James's awakening female consciousness.